I suppose it is fair to say I’m sort of a maverick when it
comes to my gear choices.I do not feel
much compulsion to follow the herd.I have
a couple of personal mottos of sorts that are relevant here.One is “respect authority, but always
question it”.The second is
“conventional wisdom is only conventional”.I freely admit to always being on the lookout for something that is a
cut above what is expected. For the occasional diamond in the rough.With our current range of optics, the choices
for modern binocular selection have never been better.They have also never been more
confusing.Hardly a bad choice today
from say $300-500.There are also a lot
of choices there too.

I recently came across a pretty new company operating out of
Lander, Wyoming called Maven Outdoor Gear.They are currently offering three different binocular models.The B1 is a traditional Schmidt-Pechan 42 mm
size in 8 and 10x.The B3 is a compact
Schmidt-Pechan 30 mm and offered in 8 and 10x.The B2 is a different sort.It is
an Abbe-Koenig design and comes with 45 mm objectives in 9 and 11x.This is the one that immediately drew my
attention.I did some research and had a
couple of conversations each with two of the owners of Maven.I liked what I heard, so I now have the 9x45
binocular that is the subject of this review.

Maven is taking a unique approach to binocular sales.They have no wish to support the traditional
multi-layer distribution system that goes through ever higher price steps as it
makes its way to the consumer who opens the box.They have decided to sell directly from their
site to the customer.They have entered
into a partnership with the premier Japanese optical firm of Kamakura who is
widely known for its abilities, and can build any level of optics required.They have made their history as a
manufacturer of OEM products for other companies.We don’t see Kamakura binoculars as their own
brand, we see them in binoculars like these from Maven.With their direct to consumer sales approach,
the consumer can see dramatic cost savings.

Maven is also unique in offering the customer the option to choose from
a wide selection of different exterior modifications allowing for the chance
for a truly unique binocular.I’m not
crossing forum rules and posting links (I asked moderator advice here) but Google is your friend.I’m not sure SWFA would class them as a
competitor as they may view Maven more of an optics company rather than a
dealer who also sells what SWFA does.But at any rate gents find it yourself .There are three different stock options with black or gray armor.In addition you can choose from five
different camo finishes for the rubber armor, you can choose the color of the
strap attachment rings, the ocular rings, the focus wheel, the tripod adapter
cover, and the objective rings. You can stay conservative with stock black or
gray, personalize your own stealthy camo, or be brave and go for the gusto with
various combinations of orange, pink, green, blue, red, green, silver, or
white.It’ll be a Maven inside, but
yours on the outside.I confess to
ordering the stock gray.Using the
customization option will add a week or two to the order, as that is done at
Kamakura USA in San Diego.The camo
finishes are applied to the armor in a hydro dip process and will smooth the
surface of the binocular slightly.There
is also an option for engraving.Full
advantage of options can add over $200 to the $1,000 base B2 price.

Another unique, and as far as I’m concerned totally welcome,
approach Maven is taking is inspection of every unit before it is shipped to
the buyer.Every binocular goes on the
collimation table in the Maven lab.Every binocular gets an inspection for performance match between each
barrel, and to be sure everything functions as it should.

With no dealer network it is hard to try before you buy, but
they offer a two week return policy.You
order with the demo function on the website, your card is charged, and refunded
upon receipt of the undamaged return binocular.

They have an uphill road being new.But they are standing behind the product with
a lifetime fully unconditional no fault warranty.Actually, the maverick in me likes to go with
the new guy who dares enter a crowded field with a unique approach, coupled with an outstanding binocular. I chose to support them both by the review route and in buying the binocular. This really is a binocular I want for myself and have no hesitation in recommending it.

This is a big, stout binocular. It comes out of the box
looking like it means business. Look through it and you see for yourself it does indeed mean business. It is
7.5” long with eye cups extended and ocular and objective covers in place.The bare binocular is 33 oz., 34 with the
covers, and 35.5 oz. with a Rick Young Harness.A first I figured it might ultimately prove too big, but that idea
perished pretty quickly.This is the
best balanced, easiest handling, best feeling in the hand binocular I have ever
tried.Not everyone will agree with
that.I have relatively large hands and
for me it is an advantage.Smaller hands
may feel differently.This has the
nicest, grippiest (is that a word?) armor on anything.You will grip sufficiently, wet or dry,
wherever you grab the binocular.

It has world class specifications.The light transmission is listed as peak
performance of 93.7%.That figure can be
looked at with varying degrees of acceptance, but I find no reason to doubt the
claim.It is every single bit as bright
as the 10x42 EL Swarovision I was able to use to compare it to.It defines the same fine lines on any
resolution chart with the same degree of sharpness as the EL SV (using a 9x vs
10x distance correction).The color
balance is absolutely neutral, in fact the image characteristics of the Maven and
the Swarovski are very similar.

While I don’t want to get into an out and out contest with
Swarovski, the comparison is unavoidable (or with any other top brand).I must admit, this big B2 caught me by
surprise.After my conversations with
Maven I should have been better prepared for what I saw.I had it in my head that I was going to be
looking at another of the recent crop of very good $1,000+ binoculars now
available.After a while it began to
dawn on me that there really is a cost to quality improvement being offered
here.Maven is getting a Kamakura glass
based on Japanese labor and materials which, while those are higher in Japan
than they were, are still considerably less than Germany and Austria.Instead of a more complicated and more
expensive center diopter, it has the right ocular ring.Instead of jumping into the flat field
technology business, Kamakura settled on a very well done classical edge,
avoiding several hundred dollars of expense.They also chose not to use fluorite glass, instead using more
conventional high grade ED glass for CA suppression.Some may nay say about these decisions, but
had Kamakura and Maven gone another route, we would have had a more expensive,
and not necessarily better binocular.

The image is a wide field one with a very wide sweet
spot.The fov is 377’ or 7.2* with an
afov of almost 65* (59* for those who are inclined toward the arc tangent
method).I’d estimate the sweet spot to
be very close to 6.5*.There is a slight
curvature, and a small ring of pincushion.Unless you are edge obsessive, it is about perfect.Not as sharp at the edge as the SV, but more
like the SLC-HD.

The AK system gives this binocular a 20 mm offset between
the ocular and objective, obviously the objective setting wider than the
oculars.This does give a noticeable
bump to the 3-D presentation to the Maven image.

The color balance is absolutely neutral.The color representation and saturation are
bright and natural.The contrast is
high, image details being popped out in both edge definition and in surface
textures.This binocular excels in image
detail at distance in twilight and crepuscular times, and in gloomy, gray stormy
days. I find CA to be pretty well controlled, but I’m CA insensitive.This is impervious to glare, it will cut
through extremely bright situations that will destroy images of many
binoculars.

It is pretty customary in reviews of binoculars
like the Maven B2, to offer the qualifier…”well it is a good glass, but not big
3”.Not so here.This glass will stand without embarrassment
in comparison to anything.I’m not
deferring to the altar of the alpha here, but be sure I’m not claiming either
equality or victory either.This is not necessarily an alpha killer, but an
exceptional binocular that will speak well for itself regardless of the
competitor.

I think we have tended to get into a shootout mentality in
binocular comparisons.Kind of like the
binocular version of March madness.Place the bets, fill out the brackets, we watch the contests and the
winner will get the trophy.What really
happened is that designs from opposite ends of the planet met someplace in the
middle on the tailgate of my pickup out in the sage juniper country of eastern
Oregon.Instead of a 15 round prize
fight the two had a discussion of 15 chapters of the latest optical textbook.There really is not a “my binocular is better
than your binocular” trophy to be had here

If this came from Germany and had a $2,000 price tag, not an
eye would blink.If you are interested
in optics, this seems to me to have changed the $1,000 binocular game.It is well worth a look.

Edited by Klamath - March/18/2015 at 20:36

Steve"Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted". William Bruce Cameron

Steve, once again, a great review. I have found your perspective to always be fair and accurate and have great respect for what you have to say in your reviews and comments. I will certainly keep this binocular in mind.

Dang, I don't know what's wrong with me... I actually enjoyed reading about a binocular...

Opinion,untempered by fact,is ignorance.

There are some who do not fear death... for they are more afraid of not really living

There are so many obsessive types at BF that it is hard to anticipate the questions. There are lots of points that need to addressed there. I admit that one got long winded. Glad you liked this one. Thanks.

Steve"Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted". William Bruce Cameron

A couple of notes. You can see I used the Maven included Op Tech adapt-its in the strap attachment. I don't care who makes the binocular or what it costs, a user is making a mistake in not using something like this. While the Maven strap lug ring is removable and thus replaceable, remember that many binoculars have the strap lug molded integrally with the frame. Bust the lug and you have a busted frame.

The metal split rings you see in the photos are for the Rick Young harness. I would not be caught dead attaching a metal split ring to a binocular frame strap lug.

Steve"Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted". William Bruce Cameron

For those of us who are unfamiliar with the 'dangers' of the metal split ring please explain further.

Thanks

The dangers vary widely, but even Swarovski advises against this. Depending largely on the binocular the design of the strap lug is likely the weak link in the frame construction. The strap lug is typically cast integrally with the frame. Less of a problem with better Mg alloys and casting procedures in more expensive stuff, what we have is a small rectangular tab protruding from the frame, since it is hollow in the center to allow strap access, the lug is attached to the frame at just two points. When we put on a split ring that ring slides back and forth and usually spends its time wearing against one of the two contact points with the frame. This causes friction wear and shock stress from numerous slight jarring from walking around with the binocular around our neck. The ring slides back and forth as the binocular is picked up and set down around our neck on the strap.

All this simply places extra stress and wear on the weak points of the frame. Bust the lug and you have a busted frame. Use an adapt-it or similar and the stresses of normal use are distributed evenly around the perimeter of the lug.

Obviously some lugs are less prone to this than others.

Steve"Everything that can be counted does not necessarily count; everything that counts cannot necessarily be counted". William Bruce Cameron

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